One of the best birthday parties I’ve ever gone to was at a trampoline park. We were jumping, flipping, and flying through the air. It was a blast.
And it was my friend’s 25th birthday party. You read that right. Thirty adults of all different shapes and sizes, jumping around and playing dodgeball. Seldom do we get to throw off the shackles of the work week and use our body for active play. Rarely do we get the chance to just be ourselves. Here are six reasons we should be ourselves and go to a trampoline park.
Be A Kid Again
There are times when it’s important to let go. When was the last time you just went nuts? With a Trampoline Park, you run around in a pair of grip socks as you bounce up and down. Jump into the foam pit with as much force as you can. Hell, bounce off the walls sideways and really get deep into the work. You won’t find a better space to just be a physical human being.
You can also fall as much as you want. It's fun. Jumping up and then falling flat on your backside is a great stress relief. Don't believe me? Try it. Every fiber of your being is telling you not to do it, but once you do, you gain the courage to do whatever you want.
Do Flips
This is the part where you can really feel your energy. Feel the burn in your core. Feel the centripetal force as you spin again and again. Feeling dizzy? Good. You should be. What’s the point of having fun if you don't push yourself?
This is also the perfect time to really feel like you’re a gymnast. I don’t know about you, but that’s one of the highlights of the Summer Olympic games. The things these gymnasts do with their bodies is intense and awe-inspiring. Feel some of that amazing power by jumping around on the trampoline floor.
Great Exercise
Then, there’s the exercise. A kid on the playground is a kid in motion. A kid on the jungle gym is a kid working out their upper body. Hanging upside is good for your body. So is doing back flips and front flips (which is great for core control). Plus, it’s so much safer to do it in the soft, padded environment of the trampoline park that you’ll just want to experiment. Once you’re out there, you’ll find yourself doing things you never thought possible. Trampolining is a great aerobic and anaerobic exercise that doesn't feel like exercise at all.
Play Some Dodgeball
To get the most out of your time, it’s time to play some games. Dodgeball a game that has unfortunately been removed from most elementary school playgrounds, but the tradition is still alive by playing it as often as we can, even as adults. There are almost always large trampoline areas where full groups of 30 people can play a game, and the facility almost always has a bunch so there’s always a ball in the air.
Then there’s basketball (ever wanted to dunk?) and football (ever want to jump 10 feet to catch a pigskin?). I don’t know if soccer could work, but I’m pretty certain you could figure out how. Let your imagination run wild. After all, play is important for adults.
Kid Friendly
Let’s not overlook the elephant in the room: it’s a super kid-friendly place. If you don’t have kids, go ahead and read on. There is a lot of reasons why this place is perfect for adults-only activities, but it was constructed as a kid’s playground. Don’t let that discourage you. But if you have kids and you want to get out of your regular gym routine and try something new, or maybe you want to get them away from the TV or their cellphone, a trampoline park is the perfect time to introduce tactile fun to a digital generation.
And I don’t mean kid friendly as in, “This place would be great for my 5 year-old.” This place is great for your fifteen year-old. Sure, it may take them a little bit of time to get over their teenage-angst, but get them out there and they’ll be just as involved as anyone else, and possibly bear being seen with their parents in public.
And plus, P.E. budgets have been slashed across the nation, so any exercise is a good idea.
Leave the Kids At Home
While the kid’s P.E. budgets are being slashed, your time is being crunched. The gym is fun, but at the same time, it’s sterile. And I don’t mean sterile as if it’s clean (it’s probably not), but it’s just safe. When the exercise is fun, intense, and group oriented, you’ll find yourself lost in it. If you can’t find a sport you love, an activity like trampolining is the next best thing.
That’s where the trampoline park comes in. It is fun. There’s always something to do, very rarely does someone feel left out, and everyone who can get involved, gets involved. I’ve seen asthmatic adults forget their worries for a while and just huff and puff around with the biggest grin on their face, and I’ve seen people near retirement getting to make new memories of just being active.
So go bounce around for a bit. I’m certain you’ll like it.
